Saturday, 31 December 2016

2016 was a truly exceptional year for birds and certainly my best to date:

January:

The year got off to a good start on 1st January with breif views of the DUSKY WARBLER at Ham Wall and one of the Yellow-Browed Warblers on Yeovil Openspace (there was a couple reports of 2 this month, but personally I can't say I saw both after the New Year). One bird stayed until 14th January at least.

Yellow-Browed Warbler - Yeovil Openspace

Februrary:

Had my first Glossy Ibis of the year at Exminster Marshes.

Glossy Ibis - Exminster Marshes

A couple days in Cornwall failed to produce the pacific diver, but there was plenty of compensation including some stonking larids: a 1st winter AMERICAN HERRING GULL at Mousehole and 2 Glaucous Gulls at Newlyn. Also had a breif in-flight view of the HUDSONIAN WHIMBREL at Perranuthnoe.

AMERICAN HERRING GULL - Mousehole

Glaucous Gulls - Newlyn

Toward the end of the month I got the Ring-Necked Duck at Glastonbury Heath and the Pallas's Warbler at Portesham.

Ring-Necked Duck - Glastonbury Heath

Pallas's Warbler - Portesham

Also of note this month was finding an overwintering Ring Ouzel on my suburban street! Quite a cool find for Feburary. It lingered until early April at least, and I saw it on several occasions at early morning or late evening.

Ring Ouzel - Yeovil

March:

Only rarity seen this month was the LONG-BILLED DOWITCHER at Keyhaven which showed down to a few metres (which was lucky as there was heavy fog that day).

LONG-BILLED DOWITCHER - Keyhaven

April:

Another attempt to find the pacific diver in Cornwall again proved unsuccessful. Other highlights included an Iceland Gull at St Just and better views of the HUDSONIAN WHIMBREL again at Perranuthnoe.

Iceland Gull - St Just

HUDSONIAN WHIMBREL - Perranuthnoe

Got up to Tealham Moor one evening where I quickly located the White Stork, and a couple of trips to Portland produced a confiding Hoopoe and a western-race SUBALPINE WARBLER.

White Stork - Tealham Moor

Hoopoe - Portland

May:

A day in the Southeast proved well worth the journey. After just 2 hours of waiting, I had a brief view of the Lady Amherst's Pheasant at Lidlington, and the day was rounded off by the RUFOUS TURTLE DOVE at Otford, Kent.

RUFOUS TURTLE DOVE - Otford

Finally caught up with a long-time bogey bird at Exminster Marshes; an adult Purple Heron.

Purple Heron - Exminster Marshes

A rush down to Portland one evening proved uncessessary, as the GREAT SPOTTED CUCKOO stayed for months. Gave great views while I was there.

GREAT SPOTTED CUCKOO - Portland

A last minute day trip to South Wales proved worth while with a cracking adult SQUACCO HERON at Ogmore and eventually got a brief view of the SAVI'S WARBLER at Newport Wetlands.

SQUACO HERON - Ogmoor

Reeling SAVI'S WARBLER - Newport Wetlands

June:

Only bird of note this month was a Woodchat Shrike at Great Hill, Dorset.

Woodchat Shrike - Great Hill

July:

A couple of twitches to Ham Wall allowed me to connect with COLLARED PRATINCOLE, LITTLE BITTERN and Glossy Ibis.

COLLARED PRATINCOLE - Ham Wall

Glossy Ibis - Ham Wall

A week spent in Norfolk/Lincolnshore produced a great selection of birds, the highlights of which included a CASPIAN TERN at Hickling Broad, BROAD-BILLED SANDPIPER and Pectoral Sandpiper at Frampton Marsh, WHITE-RUMPED SANDPIPER at Snettisham and self-found Montagu's Harrier at Bircham Newton and Honey Buzzard near Basingstoke.

CASPIAN TERN - Hickling Broad

BROAD-BILLED SANDPIPER - Frampton Marsh

WHITE-RUMPED SANDPIPER - Snettisham

Pectoral Sandpiper - Frampton Marsh

August:

Pleased with the collection of sandpipers from the Norfolk trip, I wasn't expecting to get a LEAST SANDPIPER at Black Hole Marsh and a SPOTTED SANDPIPER at Sutton Bingham Reservoir both in the following week!

LEAST SANDPIPER - Black Hole Marsh

SPOTTED SANDPIPER - Sutton Bingham Res

A day seawatching in Cornwall produced 4 Great Shearwaters and 44 Cory's Shearwaters, and I also finally had a look at the DALMATIAN PELICAN, though I doubt it stands much chance of getting accepted.

DALMATIAN PELICAN - Point Quay

Cory's Shearwater - Porthgwarra

Rounded the month off with 2 Wrynecks together at West Bexington.

2 Wrynecks - West Bexington

September:

The sandpiper theme continued this month with a BAIRD'S SANDPIPER at Upton Warren, Worcestershire.

BAIRD'S SANDPIPER - Upton Warren

This was followed by my 300th UK bird; the LESSER YELLOWLEGS at Fremington Pill which showed down to a few metres. Also had good views of another Glossy Ibis here.

LESSER YELLOWLEGS - Fremington Pill

Glossy Ibis - Fremington Pill

A trip to Plymouth resulted in mostly distant and one breif close up view of the LESSER GREY SHRIKE which thankfully stayed put just long enough for me to connect.

LESSER GREY SHRIKE - Plymouth

October:

A trip to East Yorkshire was in order to see the once (or 13!) in lifetime bird, the SIBERIAN ACCENTOR at Easington, a really cracking bird! Other highlights from the day included singles of RADDE'S WARBLER, Pallas's Warbler, 2 Shore Larks and 9 Tundra Bean Geese at Spurn and a SIBERIAN STONECHAT at Grimstone.

SIBERIAN ACCENTOR - Easington

SIBERIAN STONECHAT - Grimstone

Shore Lark - Spurn

Tundra Bean Geese - Spurn

Another trip up to Lincolnshire and, after several dips, I finally connected with Britains first WESTERN PURPLE SWAMPHEN at Alkborough Flats! Views were distant, light was poor and there was rain and heavy fog, but I'm just glad to have finally caught up with this thing.

WESTERN PURPLE SWAMPHEN - Alkborough Flats

Continuing on to Norfolk produced the ISABELLINE WHEATEAR at Burnham Overy Dunes and the DESERT WHEATEAR at Cley.

ISABELLINE WHEATEAR - Burnham Overy Dunes

DESERT WHEATEAR - Cley

A day at Ham Wall towards the end of the Month had me finally connect with both Glossy Ibises together.

Glossy Ibises - Ham Wall

Also of note this month was the Turtle Dove on Portland which showed like a feral pigeon!

Turtle Dove - Portland

November:

Only bird of note this month was the regular Ring-Billed Gull at the Blashford Lakes roost, though not the same individual I saw here last year.

Ring-Billed Gull - Blashford Lakes

December:

Headed up to Beeley in Derbyshire for the lingering DUSKY THRUSH on the 10th, another nice December surprise.

DUSKY THRUSH - Beeley

Also got the HUME'S WARBLER on Portland on the 17th.

HUME'S WARBLER - Portland

Stayed in Norfolk again over Christmas. Birding highlights included singles of RED-BREASTED GOOSE and Todd's Canada Goose, at least 14 Tundra Bean Geese and 6 Waxwings.

RED-BREASTED GOOSE - Docking

Todd's Canada Goose - Docking

Tundra Bean Geese - Docking

Waxwings - Costessey

December was nicely rounded off with the BLUE ROCK THRUSH at Stow-in-the-Wold, Gloucestershire, though it's origins remain a bit dubious.

BLUE ROCK THRUSH - Stow-in-the-Wold

It was a personal record-breaking year for me, with a total 41 lifers and 9 megas (previous records were 34 and 3 respectively).
Happy new year to all, and good birding for 2017!

About Me

I’m a South Somerset based birder. I started birding in 2007 but only discovered twitching in 2013. Now I mostly twitch rarities but am a casual Yeovil Lister as well and concentrate on my local patch; Yeovil Openspace. I try to take record shots of all the decent species I see, and occasionally get decent photos too!